Reduction of aerodynamic drag contributes to increased fuel efficiency of a vehicle, for example, a truck. To reduce aerodynamic drag, fairings are installed to smooth the vehicle's outer surface which thereby smoothes air flow over the vehicle in motion and reduces drag. Fairings and the associated mounting devices, however, contribute to vehicle weight. Fairing vibration can interfere with vehicle operability and can create noise problems. Weight reduction of these added components is desirable to increase fuel efficiency. Vibration isolation is desirable to improve vehicle operability and noise.
First conventional devices for attaching fairings to the vehicle and to each other were brackets attached with simple metal straps. The metal straps often broke in service during normal vehicle operation. One attempt to address the problems described above and the problem of strap breakage is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a second conventional fairing bracket device. FIG. 2 is a top view of the second conventional fairing bracket device shown in FIG. 1. The design shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 allows for motion accommodation in the fore-aft direction of the vehicle with, for example, ten times the stiffness in the cross vehicle direction. The design shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, however, has an involved and therefore expensive manufacturing process. For example, one of the brackets includes a steel cylinder into which an opening is cut to accommodate the square tubing which is welded into place. The manufacturing process further includes four rivets to attach the fairing strap to a second bracket. A total of six components are part of the complete device in this conventional design. The components are also somewhat heavy.
It remains desirable to have a fairing mounting device that is lighter, addresses vibration and noise problems and is easier and less expensive to manufacture.